Rosebuds
by Kitsune10
Summary: Lily, Amy and the Marauders in their fourht year. I'm not very good at summaries, but it's rated PG-13 just in case anything I add later is questionable.
1. Introductions

"Yeah, he's got to be the hottest fourteen year-old wizard ever," Cerise said. She twirled her golden locks around her finger delicately.  
  
"I'm definitely taking him to the Yule Ball," her friend, Harpa, squealed. She tossed her blond head with a sigh. "He can't say no. It's almost illegal. A cute popular girl asks out a cute popular boy, and the boy says 'yes'. It's an unwritten law."  
  
Amy stood up from playing wizard chess with Iris in the Gryffindor common room. "Whom are you talking about?" she asked. "Or, rather, fainting over." Amy put her elbows on the table between Harpa and Cerise, chewing a root beer flavored wad of bubblegum.  
  
"Sirius," Harpa whispered. She took a sip of butterbeer and a misty look came into her light green eyes.  
  
"How can you not have a crush on him?" Cerise asked. "You have a better chance with him than any of us. You're like, the only female Marauder. I read in Witch Weekly that it's better to be friends before being a couple."  
  
"Well, I don't think he's all that cute," Iris said finally in a heavy Irish accent. She put her elbows on the table next to Amy's. Iris's mousy brown hair flopped over her shoulders.  
  
"Whatever," Cerise and Harpa said simultaneously. Iris wasn't considered popular, so her vote didn't matter in the minds of Cerise and Harpa.  
  
"Have you ever said two words to Sirius?" she ventured.  
  
"No," Harpa said flatly. "So?" Her mouth hung open as if she were deeply offended.  
  
At that moment, a tall girl tapped Amy's shoulder. Amy spun around to see deep green eyes and light red hair. "I'm Lily Evans," she said in a smooth voice. "Are you the fourth years? I'm sorry-I'm new."  
  
"Iris Nittles," Iris said, shaking Lily's hand enthusiastically. "We're the four year Gryffindors. This is Cerise Veouje, Harpa DeGreer and-"  
  
"I'm Amy Thor," Amy interrupted.  
  
"Nice to meet you," Lily replied graciously.  
  
"Ooh! Let me help you with those!" Iris said, motioning to the small bags Lily was carrying. She lunged for a crimson duffel bag, but was barricaded by Lily's hand.  
  
"Oh, it's no problem," Lily assured her. "Wingardium leviosa." The bags hovered a few feet above the ground and Lily nudged them gently into the dormitory. Iris followed her with a look of astonishment and a grin.  
  
"What do you think?" Cerise asked after Lily and Iris were out of earshot. Cerise's powder blue eyes sparkled dangerously.  
  
"I don't like her. She's too nice; the prefect sort," Harpa muttered.  
  
"I think she's alright," Amy said. "We need more girls in this school who don't have crushes on Sirius." She smiled in a sarcastic way and went to help Lily unpack.  
  
Cerise and Harpa rolled their eyes. "Amy's turning geek," Harpa said, wincing.  
  
"Definitely," Cerise agreed. "I won't stand for that."  
  
~*~(*)~*~  
  
At dinner, Lily stumbled into the Great Hall, looking for a seat awkwardly. Iris was by her side. "Let's go sit over there. I want you to meet my friends!" Iris squealed. She pointed to the very end of the Gryffindor table where a few misfits sat, segregated from the rest.  
  
"That's alright," Lily muttered. "There's a seat next to Amy. I think I'll just sit there." Lily dashed to the empty seat before Iris could object.  
  
Iris narrowed her eyes and hurried to her friends to tell them how mean Lily Evans was.  
  
"Lily!" Amy cried. "Sit down. This is James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin Peter Pettigrew and you already know Cerise and Harpa."  
  
Lily nodded and smiled at each introduction before sitting. Harpa and Cerise were talking to Sirius at the same time and Sirius was paying neither of them any attention. Lily turned to Amy and caught James's eye. They each turned away quickly and Lily blushed a deep pink.  
  
"Lily?" Amy asked suspiciously. She raised an eyebrow, unsure of what was going on.  
  
"Nothing," Lily replied with a giggle. She served herself some mashed potatoes.  
  
"So, Lily," Sirius began, ignoring Cerise and Harpa, "what brings you to Hogwarts?" He winked at Lily and finished chewing his steak.  
  
Lily paused before answering. "My mum and dad are Muggles and they finally decided to send me to Hogwarts last month. They've never really liked the whole idea of wizardry; that's why I haven't been here before."  
  
Sirius nodded and the small talk continued for the rest of dinner.  
  
~*~(*)~*~  
  
Lily moved slowly, trusting the shafts of moonlight to guide her in the dormitory. "Amy," Lily whispered, hanging over her bed.  
  
"Lily?" Amy asked. She blinked awake. "What?"  
  
"Does James have a girlfriend?" Lily queried.  
  
"What? No," Amy answered. She sat up carefully.  
  
Lily paused and bit her lip.  
  
"What are you driving at?" Amy asked.  
  
"Nothing," Lily said quickly. She felt around for her bed in the dark and laid down.  
  
"Lily?" Amy asked once she was nestled under the covers again.  
  
"Yeah?" Lily replied.  
  
"Go to sleep," Amy said, grinning in the darkness. She turned on her side and closed her eyes peacefully.  
  
~*~(*)~*~  
  
"Potions isn't a time for horseplay!" Professor Antonello scolded Peter.  
  
"Yes, sir," the chubby boy replied, his beady eyes glossed over with boredom.  
  
Professor Antonello returned to his cauldron in front of the class and added five beetle wings lovingly to the milky purple potion. "After adding the beetle wings, stir your cauldron three times; no more, no less."  
  
"This class is the most boring," Amy whispered to Lily.  
  
"Would you like to share something with the class, Amaranta?" Antonello asked with a smirk.  
  
"Not really," Amy replied and added five beetle wings to the cauldron she was sharing with Lily.  
  
"Well, I think you really ought to," Professor Antonello said coldly.  
  
Amy sighed and stood. "I was only telling Lily that this class is the most boring," Amy returned.  
  
"Very well, Amaranta. I'm glad you can share your feelings with the class," Antonello whispered. "Sit down."  
  
Amy sat calmly and rolled her eyes at Lily. "He can be quite annoying."  
  
Lily stifled a giggle and stirred the potion three times.  
  
As the class filed out of the classroom after Potions was over, Sirius called Lily aside to ask her something in private.  
  
~*~(*)~*~  
  
"What was Sirius saying to you?" Amy asked Lily during their free period by the lake.  
  
"He asked me to the Yule Ball," Lily replied.  
  
"And?" Amy asked, surprised Sirius hadn't alerted her first.  
  
"I said 'no'," Lily said coolly. She skipped a rock across the surface of the glassy water.  
  
Amy smiled. "Wow," she said. "I don't think anyone's refused a date with Sirius." She squinted in the bright sunlight.  
  
"I think I'm going to ask James," Lily muttered.  
  
Amy smiled as the giant squid disrupted the lake's glassy waves. "Yeah, he likes you."  
  
Lily smiled and stood up stiffly. "Where is he now?"  
  
"Probably at the library with the Marauders," Amy answered.  
  
"What?" Lily asked, confused.  
  
"I'll explain on the way there," Amy assured her.  
  
The pair walked across the lawn back towards the school.  
  
[A/N: This is the new 'revised' version. Thank you to everyone who reviewed and alerted me to stupid mistakes. Thanks, Abbess for suggestions!] 


	2. Rumors

"The Marauders," Amy started, "are infamous at Hogwarts. Sirius started the group with James. Later on, Remus joined. I'm not sure how Peter was accepted actually."  
  
Lily was listening intently as they walked the long corridor to the library. "Are you a Marauder?" she asked.  
  
"I'm not done yet; listen," Amy scolded her playfully. "No, I'm not a Marauder, it's some male dominance thing."  
  
"Sorry." Lily giggled softly and continued to listen.  
  
"Anyways, they're a group of friends who just hang out together; but most importantly they wreak havoc," Amy said with a smirk. "I bet that's why they're here, to plan a prank."  
  
The pair arrived at the arch marking the entrance of the library. Amy held her finger to her lips and beckoned Lily to follow her. She walked to the far side of the library and skipped down a few steps. She walked across a small landing and down a couple more steps.  
  
Amy crouched silently and watched the Marauders from around a corner. Sirius was gesturing at the head of the small table and everyone else was nodding. "We need stealth," Sirius explained, "and your Invisibility Cloak." He gestured to James.  
  
"Okay, I'll sum it up." James stood and joined his friend at the head of the table. He said, "At eleven o'clock tomorrow night, Sirius and I will be under the Cloak in the common room. Peter, you and Remus will be creating a diversion so Sirius and I can sneak into the common room unnoticed. Once we're in, we'll--" Lily tumbled from the small staircase suddenly and James stopped talking.  
  
Lily was sprawled out on the plush carpet. She blushed a deep pink and Amy rushed to help her up. "Fine, don't offer to help!" Amy teased as she pulled Lily to her feet. Once Lily was safely standing again, Amy asked the Marauders a friendly question. "Who are you going to use that prank on?"  
  
The boys exchanged nervous glances. "Um, no one you know," Remus said quickly.  
  
"You expect me to believe that?" Amy asked, now angry.  
  
No one said anything. Amy turned sharply and strode back up the steps. Lily looked from Amy to James and followed Amy, after giving James a small and timid wave.  
  
~*~(*)~*~  
  
"The nerve!" Amy declared once they were back in the Common Room. "It's that whole masculine thing." She slumped into a chair and sighed deeply.  
  
"I think maybe--" Lily was cut off by Cerise's voice.  
  
"Amy!" Cerise called out as she hurried towards them. "Are the rumors true? Please say they're not true!" A fake look of concern was sketched across her brow.  
  
Lily's eyes met Cerise's and a Lily swore later that she saw a spark. Amy was still gaping with an open mouth. "What rumors?" Lily asked, glaring at Cerise.  
  
"They say," Cerise's gaze fell upon Lily once more, "that you're a-a Death Eater." Harpa rushed over to them suddenly, as if on queue.  
  
"Oh, Amy! The rumors are horrible," Harpa cried. "Everyone's saying that Lily's a Death Eater." Harpa was completely ignoring Lily and Cerise had turned back to Amy.  
  
"That's not true," Amy said with a small laugh. "How can Lily be a Death Eater?"  
  
All eyes turned upon Lily. "Who told you this?" Lily queried.  
  
"Everyone," Harpa said with a nod.  
  
"You know, they say He-Who-Must-Not Be-Named is hiding," Cerise said, a tiny but wicked smile on her face. "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named needs to plot his next attack. But you would know that, wouldn't you, Lily?"  
  
"What are you talking about?" Lily cried. "My parents are Muggles! I didn't even know who Voldemort was until Professor O'Hara had a talk with me the day I arrived. I wouldn't even know what you were talking about; 'He-Who- Must-Not-Be-Named'."  
  
Many thoughts raced through Amy's mind. Could Lily really be associated with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named? She thought. What if she was? She did say His real name. I've only known her for a couple days after all.  
  
Harpa sighed. "Lying through her teeth obviously," she said. Cerise walked away slowly and Harpa followed. To Lily's horror, Amy followed them. She turned back once to see Lily gaping.  
  
~*~(*)~*~  
  
Amy had been ignoring Lily for the past twelve hours. Lily decided she needed help from those who knew Amy best.  
  
Lily knocked quietly on the fourth year boys' door. She could hear hushed murmurs coming form inside but there was no answer. Lily knocked again and spoke clearly. "It's me; Lily. Can I come in? I need help."  
  
The door opened a crack and Peter peered out cautiously. The door shut again quickly and Lily could here more whispers. She was about to knock again when the door was flung open.  
  
Sirius stood in the doorway and smiled at Lily. "How can I help you?" he asked.  
  
"Cut it out," Lily raged. Amy wasn't here, so Lily felt it her duty to control Sirius. "Can I come in?"  
  
Sirius closed the door once again and it sounded as if the furniture was being rearranged in the dormitory. In a few moments, Sirius opened the door once again. "What's going on?" Lily asked suspiciously.  
  
"Um, squadafunk." The response was fast and indecipherable. "Come in." Sirius stepped back to reveal the cramped dormitory.  
  
Lily stepped in gingerly, avoiding the clothes scattered all over the floor and unfinished homework that was well overdue. She took a seat in a chair by the window. "Amy thinks I'm a Death-Eater."  
  
Many glances were exchanged before Remus answered. "That-That has been circulating. I think-- Cerise started the rumor."  
  
Lily gaped. "Why the hell does Amy believe those stupid rumors?" Sirius asked.  
  
"I don't know." Lily replied. She bit her lip and looked to James.  
  
"Can you explain what happened?" James asked, sounding much like a Muggle police officer at the scene of a crime.  
  
Lily nodded. "Last night, we had just gotten back from the library and Amy was pretty mad you guys wouldn't tell her who you were plotting against." Many looks were exchanged at this remark, but James listened intently.  
  
"Anyways," Lily continued, "before I could say anything, Cerise came running up to us. She told Amy and me about this ridiculous rumor going around school about me being a Death-Eater. Then Harpa joined us. She told us that everyone believed the rumor. I tried to tell them I didn't even know who Voldemort was before Professor O'Hara talked to me, but they just ignored me an walked away."  
  
"So what's the problem?" Remus asked. "How do you know Amy thinks you're a Death-Eater?"  
  
Lily's eyes welled with tears, but she wiped them away immediately. After a spell of staggered breathing, she continued. "Amy followed them. It was like she sincerely believed that crap they were feeding her."  
  
[A/N: Yay! Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed! I'm glad you like it so far. Sorry for taking so long, hehe. Please review this chapter, thank you!] 


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